Tony Stark and Maria Hill: NOT a Romance
by Qweb
Summary: Four short missing scenes from Avengers: Age of Ultron — so SPOILERS! Interaction between Tony Stark and Maria Hill regarding who Maria is working for.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: SPOILERS FOR AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON._ _This is not a romance. It's four short (very short) missing scenes from AOU regarding Tony's reaction to finding out that Fury is alive and Hill is working for him. I decided to start them on Memorial Day as holiday surprise. I'll finish on my usual Saturday posting. I'll post the other two sometime during the week._

* * *

 **Tony Stark and Maria Hill: Not a Romance**

After Nick Fury left the Barton's farm, departing as mysteriously as he had arrived, Tony Stark fumed about Maria Hill keeping secrets from him.

"After I took her in, poor lost little spy left on Stark Industries' doorstep. All the time she was working for that one-eyed zombie … What?" he demanded, seeing Natasha Romanoff's smirk.

"You adopt a spy, you have to expect her to spy," Natasha said with a shrug. "It's our nature."

"So you knew," Tony said. He focused on Steve Rogers, calmly polishing his shield. Steve had been a little put out by Clint hiding that he had a family, but he wasn't at all fazed by Fury's resurrection. "And you knew!" Tony accused Cap.

Steve sighed. "I knew Fury wasn't dead. All of us who conspired to bring down SHIELD and Hydra knew — me, Maria, Natasha, Sam and a few more of Fury's people."

"Sometimes my teammates don't tell me things," Tony said darkly, throwing Steve's words back at him.

Steve sighed. He pointed at himself, Natasha and Barton in order. "Soldier, spy, soldier/spy. Keeping secrets is part of the job description, Tony. I knew about Fury. I didn't know that Maria was still working for Fury, because I didn't ask, but I'm not surprised."

Bruce waved his hand as if in a schoolroom. "I was surprised, if that helps," he offered Tony.

Tony tilted his head in acknowledgment, then rounded on Barton. "How about you? You weren't there, but you don't look surprised either. Who told you?"

"I did," Laura Barton said unexpectedly. Everyone but Nat and Clint stared at her.

"He called me," Laura explained. "He didn't want the kids to worry about Uncle Nick."

Tony hadn't thought his flabber could get more gasted, but he had been wrong. "Uncle Nick! That sly secretive bastard!"

Thinking of the children in the next room, Cap and the other Avengers all said in unison, "Language!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 _After the Avengers leave the farm._

* * *

Maria Hill was expecting Tony Stark's call as soon as he could get to a secure line.

"You're fired, you know that, right?"

"You keep telling me that Captain Rogers is the boss," Maria reminded Tony. "But, yes, I was expecting this."

"You've been working for Fury all the time you've been drawing a salary from Stark Industries."

"Yes."

Maria let Tony rant for a few moments about disloyalty and backstabbing. He needed to vent. But eventually she cut him off.

"Tony, I take my oaths seriously," Maria said. "I swore an oath to Fury and to SHIELD. I've kept that oath, even if it meant going undercover at an ally's business." She smiled to herself. "I'm not the first undercover agent at SI," she reminded him, referring to Tony's first meeting with Natalie Rushman, aka the Black Widow.

Tony started to say something, but Maria overrode him. "But I took an oath to Stark Industries, too. I have never given any of your secrets to Fury. I've only shared information between the Initiative and SHIELD. And I've shared it both ways."

"Your mysterious 'sources,'" Tony said sourly.

"Yes. But I've never given away anything you or Pepper told me in confidence," Maria said firmly.

Tony humphed. "Well, go and help Nicky with his mysterious project. I know you'll do it with or without my permission."

"Thank you, Mr. Stark," Maria said formally. "I can promise you won't be sorry."

Tony humphed again.

"And, Tony, I don't care what that Rushman woman said. Tony Stark is a hero."

Tony remembered a vision of the Avengers dying because of his mistake. He must have made a doubtful noise, because Maria continued. "When he makes a mistake it's a colossal one," she said dryly. "But the Avengers can't save the day without Tony Stark. Good luck, boss."

She hung up.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 _After Tony escapes from the flaming debris of the disintegrating city._

* * *

Tony Stark's scorched, battered, half-melted armor air-limped to the helicarrier. Repulsors sputtering, Iron Man dropped to the flight deck heavily enough to qualify as a crash, though technically he landed on his feet.

Armor whining and grinding audibly, Stark ground-limped through refugee-crowded corridors, ignoring all offers of assistance. Only the tools back at the tower would pry him out of the damaged armor. He barged onto the bridge, crushing bits of an Ultron droid underfoot. He ignored Nick Fury and marched to face Maria Hill.

He popped the face plate, physically shoving it out of the way. The last hinge broke and the plate fell off. Maria caught it before it clanged to the ground.

"OK, I forgive you," Tony said.

Maria smiled. "And …?" she prompted.

Tony frowned, too tired for the snarky games he usually enjoyed. "And …?"

"And I was right. You aren't sorry I helped Fury with his … project." Her _eyes_ swept around the damaged but functional bridge of the world's only remaining helicarrier, the only vessel big enough to carry the population of a city out of danger.

"You were right," Tony agreed. He thought of all those happy, weeping survivors. "I'm not sorry at all."

He collapsed, exhausted on the first bare stretch of floor he could find.

"I was right about the other thing, too," Maria said, ripping a cushion off a chair to serve Tony as a pillow. "The Avengers couldn't save the day without Tony Stark. He's a hero."

"Don't spread it around," Tony said, closing his eyes for a well deserved nap. "I've got a reputation to maintain."

* * *

 _A/N: Last chapter tomorrow._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 _Before Tony finds Thor and Steve at the new Avengers facility._

* * *

Preparing to leave the new Avengers headquarters, Tony Stark sought out Maria Hill to give her a check for her severance pay from Stark Industries. She accepted the gesture with a smile. Her job coordinating the Avengers hadn't changed; she just didn't need to hide behind a Stark Industries smokescreen.

"You got any more secrets?" Tony demanded, half joking.

Thinking of Phil Coulson and others, Maria answered, "Yes, of course."

Tony rolled his eyes. "Of course," he muttered, as he flipped his hand in a goodbye wave and left to find Thor.

Maria entered her darkened room. A shadow moved, making her reach automatically for her gun. The man stepped forward. Recognizing the shape and stride, Maria relaxed and flipped on the light switch.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Stark will be looking for you."

"I came to get my jacket," Steve Rogers replied.

Maria pulled the plastic-draped leather jacket out of her closet. "I got it dry cleaned. There was … stuff … on it after the party."

"Yeah, that was a pretty wild party," Steve admitted, stepping closer. "I heard Stark's voice in the hall. What did he want?"

"He wanted to know if I had any more secrets," she smirked.

Steve stepped even closer, crowding her back against the wall. She didn't seem to mind.

"What did you say?" he asked in a husky voice.

Maria put her arms around his neck.

"I said, yes, of course," she answered, and kissed her captain.

 **The End**

* * *

 _A/N: Maybe I was wrong about it not being a romance._


End file.
